Image from Canadian Press

By Connor Gunn/LethbridgeNewsNOW

IIHF bans Russia, Belarus from all events indefinitely

Feb 28, 2022 | 3:37 PM

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is banning Russia and Belarus from competing in any future events until further notice.

After the IIHF Council evaluated the impact of the current war in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are banned.

The IIHF Council has decided to take the following actions:

“Suspension of all Russian and Belarusian National Teams and Clubs from participation in every age category and in all IIHF competitions or events until further notice.”

“Withdrawal of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship hosting rights from Russia
These two actions have been initiated by the Council in order to enable the IIHF to ensure the safety of IIHF Championships and all participating players, officials, and fans,” the IIHF statement reads.

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The news means both Russia and Belarus cannot compete in:

• 2022 IIHF Continental Cup (4-6 March 2022)
• 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (21 April-01 May 2022)
• 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (13-29 May 2022)
• 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s Word Championship (Dates TBB)
• 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship (Dates TBD)
• 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship (26 August-4 September 2022)

IIHF’s 2023 World Juniors Championship was set to take place in Russia from December 26, 2022, to January 5, 2023, but will be changed and relocated.

The IIHF says they will initiate discussions in the coming months to find a new host for the event.

President of the IIHF Luc Tardif, says this action taken by the council is to protect its members.

“The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in Ukraine.”

“We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of our members and participants and must therefore do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championship program.”

No further updates at this time. Additional information can be found at iihf.com/news.